It speaks to me: the influence of Covid-19 and the rise of far-right populism on youth voter turnout

Abstract

The increasing electoral abstention of young people is a global problem that has raised concerns both inside and outside the academy. However, recent research suggests that young people are significantly more likely to vote when causes or issues close to them are at stake. This article explores the influence of context (Covid-19 and far-right populism) on youth voter turnout. Using a triangulation of methods, data were collected both via a survey (n = 350) answered by a representative sample of young Portuguese people between 18 and 29 years old and through social media analytics (n = 2.373), analyzing the activity of users in the same age group on Twitter during the 2021 Presidential Election in Portugal. The results point to a strong mobilization power of the rise of far-right populism in young people's turnout, who demonstrate a willingness to express their opposition to these movements through voting. On the contrary, Covid-19 does not seem to be a mobilizing topic that young adults are passionate about, but it influences the electoral moment in two ways: negatively, by making it difficult or impossible to vote; positively, by reinforcing attention to the election campaign.